get healthy get fit Archives - Authentic Simplicity

How to Substitute Stevia for Sugar

November 18, 2012 By Anne Simpson

Welcome back to the Get Healthy & Fit series here at Authentic Simplicity! Joining me are 18 other bloggers, all desirous of improving their health and raising their level of fitness. We each have a different goal in mind and a different plan to reach that goal; and you can follow each blogger’s progress here. Follow along on Twitter and Pinterest as well!

I discussed my personal goals at length the first week, but to sum up, this is what I’m hoping to do in the course of these 12 weeks:

Kick my sugar habit

Lose approximately 10 lbs. and a few inches

Fit in my clothes

Develop sustainable habits like eating more proteins and fewer carbs

After going to Allume and pigging out on the goodies there, I fell off the wagon for a week or so and indulged my sweet tooth way too often. I’m back on track now, though, and really disciplining myself to almost eliminate sugar completely. I allow myself to enjoy it on the weekends (mostly Sunday) and a few chocolate chips here and there throughout the week, but for the most part, I’m sweetening with only stevia and occasionally some raw honey.

How to Substitute Stevia for Sugar

When I first started using stevia as a sweetener, I pretty much just played it safe and used it mostly in my coffee. I wasn’t really sure what else to do with it, so for a long time, I did nothing else. Then when I got serious about reducing the sugar in my diet, I started experimenting a lot more with stevia, and found out that it wasn’t as complicated as I thought. In fact, I’ve discovered that replacing sugar with stevia in most recipes is really as simple as this:

A few notes to clarify the information on the chart:

The 1 cup:1 tsp. ratio works well in fractions, too: a 1/2 cup of sugar is a 1/2 tsp of stevia, a 1/4 cup of sugar is 1/4 tsp. stevia, etc.
The measurements for stevia are base measurements, by which I mean you may want to increase them slightly depending on your taste. For me, 5 drops is a perfect replacement for a tablespoon of sugar, but I know many people prefer a few more drops.
These stevia measurements are for both liquid and powder forms.
Different brands make their stevia products differently, so you may have to experiment. I use mostly NuNaturals glycerine-based liquid stevia.
While these conversions are pretty reliable, they may not work in every recipe. Some recipes require the bulk that sugar gives, so you may have to adjust other ingredients (namely the ratio of liquids to dry) to compensate for the difference. This should be easy to adjust if you’re working with a recipe you have used before, because you’ll know if the batter is right or not. If it’s too dry, add some more liquid; if it’s too wet, add some more flour. I recommend experimenting with your own tried-and-true recipes and allowing yourself to become accustomed to its usage before attempting to convert brand-new recipes from sugar to stevia.
The measurements for tablespoons and teaspoons also work for converting honey to stevia. The cup measurement is a little more iffy because of the other qualities besides sweetness that honey brings to a recipe (namely, the fact that it’s liquid). In a recipe that calls for larger amounts of honey, start by replacing half of it with stevia (according to the conversion rates on the chart), and then go from there. Be prepared to adjust the recipe as necessary.

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19 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Basics, Health, Home, On The Table Tagged With: get healthy get fit, stevia

Falling off the Wagon Hurts {Get Healthy Get Fit Series}

November 4, 2012 By Anne Simpson

Welcome back to the Get Healthy & Fit series here at Authentic Simplicity! Joining me are 18 other bloggers, all desirous of improving their health and raising their level of fitness. We each have a different goal in mind and a different plan to reach that goal; and you can follow each blogger’s progress here. Follow along on Twitter and Pinterest as well!

I discussed my personal goals at length the first week, but to sum up, this is what I’m hoping to do in the course of these 12 weeks:

Kick my sugar habit

Lose approximately 10 lbs. and a few inches

Fit in my clothes

Develop sustainable habits like eating more proteins and fewer carbs

This week, I totally fell off the wagon.

Ouch. It hurt.

So I’m clambering back up on it again, anxious to get back into healthier low-carb eating, now that the majority of the junk food is gone from my house. That sweet tooth really has a death grip on me, and once I give it an inch, it happily takes a mile! (I just mixed a bunch of metaphors, but hopefully you still understand me.)

This Week’s Update

Consequently, my stats aren’t great this week. Not quite as bad as I expected, which is good. But not great.

Weight: 135.2 (still down from starting point)

Waist: 31″ (surprisingly the same)

Butt: 40″ (also surprisingly the same)

Find out how the other ladies are doing with their weight loss efforts and other goals by clicking on the image below.

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12 Ways to Enjoy Whole Grains {Get Healthy $ Fit Series}

October 22, 2012 By Anne Simpson

Welcome back to the Get Healthy & Fit series here at Authentic Simplicity! Joining me are 18 other bloggers, all desirous of improving their health and raising their level of fitness. We each have a different goal in mind and a different plan to reach that goal; and you can follow each blogger’s progress here. Follow along on Twitter and Pinterest as well!

I discussed my personal goals at length the first week, but to sum up, this is what I’m hoping to do in the course of these 12 weeks:

Kick my sugar habit

Lose approximately 10 lbs. and a few inches

Fit in my clothes

Develop sustainable habits like eating more proteins and fewer carbs

Last week, I showed you how you can easily and relatively quickly cook any whole grain. Now the question is: what to do with it? If you’re only used to consuming those grains in the form of flour, you might feel a little stuck once you have a heaping pile of cooked whole grain, wondering what in the world to do with it now!

I’m here to the rescue. Not too long ago, I was in the same boat you are, but I quickly learned how versatile and delicious whole grains can be.

Keep a batch of cooked grain in the freezer and then defrost it and turn it into any of the dishes below.

Easy Uses for Whole Grain

Use whatever whole grain you have in place of the rice when you make rice pudding.
Use a whole grain to make a fun variation of rice pilaf.
Make a quick breakfast hot cereal by combining cooked whole grains with enough milk (any kind), cooking and stirring it until it’s smooth and creamy. Add sweetener and spices as desired.
Toss some cooked grain into a pot of soup towards the end of the cooking time.
Serve it straight up as a side dish, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with fresh or dried herbs. Salt and pepper to taste.
Make a pasta-like salad by combining cooked grains and diced veggies (steamed if you want), and drizzle with any kind of dressing. Add in some fresh herbs for extra flavor. If you need specific recipes, here is a whole bunch of whole grain salad recipes.
Turn the above side dish into the main event by adding some protein in the form of meat, beans, seeds, cheese, or eggs.
Add half a cup or a little more of whole grain to a bread recipe for extra texture and crunch.
Use it in meatballs and meatloaf in place of the bread crumbs.
Give a fresh new twist to risotto by using a different grain instead. Try this recipe for barley risotto.
Combine mashed beans or sweet potato with cooked grains to make delicious veggie burgers, like these quinoa and sweet potato cakes.
Take your stir fry to the next level by introducing new grains instead of rice or rice noodles.

This Week’s Update

Yikes! This week I was very bad and it showed up on the scale. I was crazy busy and did not take the time to seek out truly healthy foods.

Here are my current stats that I will update every Monday:

Weight: 134.2 (up half a pound)

Waist (inches): 30-31

Butt: 39-40

Find out how the other ladies are doing with their weight loss efforts and other goals by clicking on the image below.

How do you cook whole grains?

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6 Comments Filed Under: Basics, Ideas, On My Mind, On The Table Tagged With: get healthy get fit, whole grains

How to Cook Any Whole Grain {Get Healthy & Fit, Week 6}

October 14, 2012 By Anne Simpson

Welcome back to the Get Healthy & Fit series here at Authentic Simplicity! Joining me are 18 other bloggers, all desirous of improving their health and raising their level of fitness. We each have a different goal in mind and a different plan to reach that goal; and you can follow each blogger’s progress here. Follow along on Twitter and Pinterest as well!

I discussed my personal goals at length the first week, but to sum up, this is what I’m hoping to do in the course of these 12 weeks:

Kick my sugar habit

Lose approximately 10 lbs. and a few inches

Fit in my clothes

Develop sustainable habits like eating more proteins and fewer carbs

Although I’m going low-carb, I’m not eliminating carbs entirely. Instead, I’m almost completely eliminating sugar from my diet (replacing it largely with stevia), and focusing on the healthiest carbohydrates possible. To that end, when it comes to grains, I am trying to minimize the amount of flour (any kind) I consume, and instead eating the grain in its entirety.

This is kind of new territory for me, to be perfectly honest. I’m familiar with whole-grain flours, but eating the actual grain whole is another matter altogether. I’m finding, though, that there are delicious ways to enjoy whole grains at any meal, and that cooking whole grains is a lot easier than it seems.

How to Cook Whole Grains Quickly and Easily

Most people cook rice and other grains in a 1:2 or 1:3 (depending on the grain) grain-to-water ratio. Rice, for example. The recipe on a package of brown rice generally suggests cooking 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of water. The problem with this is that depending on a lot of different factors, some of them beyond your control, the water will cook off or absorb more quickly than the rice does. Or, alternatively, the rice will be done before all the water is absorbed, and you’re left with mushy rice. Neither scenario is appreciated during the dinner rush hour!

Furthermore, this process takes at least 40 minutes, and the same is true for almost any grain. Although I try to keep ahead of the game and have an extra batch of rice (or other grain) cooked up in the freezer, it still takes forever to cook grains with this method.

Here’s where I owe a huge thanks to my readers! When I posted about my method of cooking rice a while back, I asked my readers for their favorite method of cooking rice, and I got some great responses. A couple people mentioned a method I had never heard of, and it intrigued me so much I had to give it a try. It worked so well that now I typically cook my rice in such a way, and I also cook all other whole grains in the same fashion.

What I love about this method is that it takes less time than the more common method. I don’t know the science of how all that works, but I know it’s true! You can easily cook a grain in half the time by following this simple method.

Oh, you want to know what the method is? I guess I shouldn’t make you wait any longer, huh?

Cook It Like Pasta

Honestly, I can sum up the instructions in one simple phrase: cook it like pasta. Fill a big ole pot with water, and bring it to a boil. Add your grains, leave the lid off, and let it boil away until the grain is tender.

That’s it. It typically takes about 20 minutes, sometimes a little more (only when I’m in a hurry, of course!), depending on the grain and other factors.

But if you need more specific instructions, here ya go:

How to Cook Whole Grains

Ingredients

4-6 qts water*
1-2 cups whole grain, rinsed (and soaked if desired)
salt, optional

Instructions

Pour the water into a large pot and cover with the lid. Add salt if desired. Bring to a boil.
Remove the lid and pour in the grain. Stir it up just a bit, then bring it back to a boil.
Allow to boil until the grain is tender but still a little chewy (you don’t want it to be mushy).
Turn off the heat, and strain out the grain; return it to the pot. Cover the pot with the lid and allow the grain to set for 5 minutes or so.
*In this method, the actual amount of water is not super important: what’s important is if you have enough water for the grain to move around freely within the water. If you fill a 6 or 8 qt pot with water, you’re good to go.

Once your grain is cooked, you can do whatever you want with it! You can turn it into a dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, limited only by your imagination. If you’re not familiar with cooking with whole grains as an ingredient, just imagine that every grain is rice, and then fix it like you would rice. Nine times out of ten, it will work just as well.

But if you need more inspiration, I will be sharing with you some ideas for preparing whole grains next week! Be sure to subscribe if you aren’t already, so you can get that post delivered to your inbox or reader.

This Week’s Update

Woot! The numbers on the scale continue to go down! Little by little! The other measurements, unfortunately, are progressing at an agonizingly slow pace. I am thankful that at least they continue to trend downward for the most part.

Here are my current stats that I will update every Monday:

Weight: 133.6 (3 lbs total weight loss so far!)

Waist (inches): 29-30

Butt: 39-40

Find out how the other ladies are doing with their weight loss efforts and other goals by clicking on the image below.

How do you cook whole grains?

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20 Comments Filed Under: Basics, Knowledge, On My Mind, On The Table, Sides Tagged With: get healthy get fit, whole grains

How to Use Stevia Plus A List of Stevia Recipes

October 7, 2012 By Anne Simpson

Welcome back to the Get Healthy & Fit series here at Authentic Simplicity! Joining me are 18 other bloggers, all desirous of improving their health and raising their level of fitness. We each have a different goal in mind and a different plan to reach that goal; and you can follow each blogger’s progress here. Follow along on Twitter and Pinterest as well!

I discussed my personal goals at length the first week, but to sum up, this is what I’m hoping to do in the course of these 12 weeks:

Kick my sugar habit

Lose approximately 10 lbs. and a few inches

Fit in my clothes

Develop sustainable habits like eating more proteins and fewer carbs

Types of Stevia, and Which Ones to Use

I’ve mentioned before that I’m using stevia more and more as a sweetener, and I’ve almost completely eliminated sugar (cane sugar) from my diet. I don’t eat sugar at all at home, and I try to keep my consumption of it minimal when I’m eating elsewhere. Personally, I think it’s the best thing anyone can do for their health!

Stevia is a great replacement for sugar because it doesn’t raise the glycemic levels, which is good news for people like me who are purposely reducing carbs and sugar for that very reason. Of course, food manufacturers see the money available here, and are doing everything they can to profit from this trend, which inevitably results in a watered down, less-than-healthful product.

Consequently, you’ll see all kinds of stevia sweeteners popping up in stores everywhere, but not all of them are created equal. Real Food Forager and Kitchen Stewardship both have done a lot of research about stevia and have written great posts about the different kinds and which ones you should use. Since my information on stevia largely comes from them, I will direct you to their work instead of attempting to reinvent the wheel.

Suffice it to say, your best bet with commercially available stevia is the liquid form, preferably glycerin-based rather than alcohol-based. Powdered stevia (with the notable exception of the SweetLeaf brand) is often highly processed with added chemicals and sugars, which, in my opinion, makes it a less desirable option. I do still occasionally use it, but mostly because I received a whole package of different types of stevia in a giveaway, and I hate to waste them! (You know how I feel about food waste!)

In an ideal situation, you could grow your own stevia and make your own stevia liquid from that. I was actually attempting to do exactly that this year, but something happened to my plant and the whole thing turned black. I am thinking it was a little cold snap we had, but since none of my other plants were affected, I’m not really sure. I still plan to order some dried stevia online and make my own liquid, which is also an option if you’re not up to growing your own stevia.

How to Use Stevia

Since stevia is a LOT sweeter than sugar, you only have to use a few drops of it per serving. As you can imagine, this complicates the process of baking, where the ratio of dry to wet ingredients is important. I also find that stevia - even liquid stevia - can negatively impact the taste of the finished product unless you use the more highly processed powdered stevia products that act as a one-to-one sugar replacement. My personal opinion is that I don’t really like baked goods made with stevia alone, so when I do bake with it, I usually prefer to use part stevia and part other sweetener (such as honey or palm sugar).

I use my stevia all the time in beverages and raw foods, though. You have to play with it a bit to find your personal level of desired sweetness, but I find that 5 drops is the perfect amount in my cup of coffee.

Other easy uses for stevia that don’t require a recipe:

Oatmeal
Yogurt
Smoothies
Tea
Lemonade
Dips (I love to mix peanut butter, plain yogurt, cocoa, and a little bit of stevia for a great apple dip!)
Whipped Cream

I also have used liquid stevia with good success in vinaigrettes and other dressings, as well as tomato sauce. I just add a few drops until I get the desired level of sweetness.

Stevia Recipes

If you’re not familiar with stevia, it’s best to start with recipes that have already been adjusted rather than attempting to substitute your favorites. Once you’ve experimented with it, you’ll get a better handle on how to work it into your regular recipe repertoire (hey, say that 3 times fast!).

To get you a head start, here are some great recipes (most of them I’ve tried myself, but some of them are on my to-try list) that use stevia:

Stevia Soda (very yummy, especially if you have flavored stevia liquid!)
Better BBQ Sauce (my family didn’t even realize there was stevia in the sauce)
Raw Chocolate Macaroons (the recipe calls for other sweeteners but suggests stevia as an option - I used half palm sugar paste and a few drops of stevia and it was perfect)
Pumpkin Pie Frappuccinos
5-Ingredient Pumpkin Fudge
Silky Smooth Bean Fudge
Banana Oat Donuts (this is one that calls for powdered stevia; just substitute 1/4 tsp liquid stevia)
Pumpkin Oatmeal Smoothie
Coconut-Mocha Coffee Creamer (I’m definitely going to try this as I’m attempting to reduce dairy consumption.)
Lemon-Peppermint Toothpaste (No, I have not tried this. But it intrigues me.)

This Week’s Update

Unfortunately, there was an upward trend on the scale this week, which I am blaming entirely on Aunt Flow (Dad-Blast that woman!). The measurements continue to creep downward every so slowly.

Here are my current stats that I will update every Monday:

Weight: 135 (up almost a pound)

Waist (inches): 30-31

Butt: 40

Find out how the other ladies are doing with their weight loss efforts and other goals by clicking on the image below.

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17 Comments Filed Under: Basics, Knowledge, On My Mind, On The Table Tagged With: get healthy get fit, stevia

What Carbs I’m Still Eating {Get Healthy & Fit, Week 4}

September 30, 2012 By Anne Simpson

Welcome back to the Get Healthy & Fit series here at Authentic Simplicity! Joining me are 18 other bloggers, all desirous of improving their health and raising their level of fitness. We each have a different goal in mind and a different plan to reach that goal; and you can follow each blogger’s progress here. Follow along on Twitter and Pinterest as well!

I discussed my personal goals at length the first week, but to sum up, this is what I’m hoping to do in the course of these 12 weeks:

Kick my sugar habit

Lose approximately 10 lbs. and a few inches

Fit in my clothes

Develop sustainable habits like eating more proteins and fewer carbs

Low-Carb Vs. No-Carb

After reading Gary Taubes’ Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It, I decided that going low-carb was a permanent lifestyle change I needed to make. But even though he came close to recommending eliminating all carbohydrates and starches entirely, I knew I didn’t want to go that direction.

For one thing, I can’t do that permanently. There’s no way I can deprive myself for the rest of my life of all starches! That just wouldn’t be fun, and eating is supposed to be fun as well as functional. My whole goal here is to develop new habits that I can sustain indefinitely, so on that score alone, going no-carb is out of the picture.

Then there is the issue of nutrition. If we focus too closely on the carbs-sugar-weight connection, we might lose sight of the big picture. The fact is, carbohydrates - the right kind of carbohydrates - have health benefits, too.

What Makes Good Carbs Good

So I’ve been telling you over and over that carbohydrates raise insulin levels which increases fat storage. That is true. But not all carbs are created equal! The “good” carbs actually help maintain a healthy weight in 3 different ways: by increasing the rate at which your body burns fat, by reducing the size of stored fat cells, and by releasing glucose into the bloodstream more slowly so that less insulin is released.

Bad carbs - refined sugars and flours - increase the amount of insulin your body releases, which is what you don’t want. Eventually, your body will lose its sensitivity to the insulin, kind of like you lose your sensitivity to loud noises when you are constantly exposed to them (think of a train track that practically runs through your backyard - after a while you don’t even notice it). Good carbs, on the other hand, help your body to maintain a high level of insulin sensitivity.

What are the Good Carbs?

So how do you differentiate between the good and bad carbs?

Fortunately, the bad carbs are easy to spot: they’re made from refined flours and sugars and are far too easily digested and absorbed by your body.

The good carbs are called “resistant starches” because they “resist” digestion. They are typically full of fiber and protein, not just carbs (hence the phrase “empty carbs”).

Some good carbs you’ll want to include in your diet:

Beans
Lentils
Split Peas
String Beans
Whole, Unprocessed Grains (I’m actually giving away some whole millet right now!)
Sourdough Bread
Bananas
Mangos
Cooked & Cooled Potatoes & Pasta

Another great thing about these resistant starches is that if you eat them with “bad” carbs (or prior to eating the bad carbs), the good carbs will help reduce the negative effects of said bad carbs. I wouldn’t go whole hog eating bad carbs, but it’s nice to know for those occasions when it can’t be avoided (like your kid’s birthday for example!).

The Caution

First of all, I’m only speaking of naturally occurring resistant starches. Manufacturers have, of course, found a way to insert their own man-made “resistant starches” into their processed foods, and I don’t consider those to be any healthier than other processed foods available. I’m sticking with God-made whole foods!

Secondly, it’s important to keep things in balance. Overall, I think starches - resistant or not - should play a much smaller role in the modern diet than they currently do. Healthy fats, proteins, vegetables (and fruits, too, even if they are carbs!) should form the bulk of the overall diet. But when carbs are consumed… make them good carbs.

To that end, later today, I’ll be posting a great recipe for a healthy good carb snack you’re gonna love!

For more information on good carbs, read these articles:

Beans Seen to Discourage Diabetes
What are Resistant Starches?

This Week’s Update

I saw some progress on the scale this week, which is exciting! Here’s hoping my weekend didn’t totally blow it all away (I only weigh on Fridays). The other stats remain more or less the same.

Here are my current stats that I will update every Monday:

Weight: 134.2 (down 2.4 pounds from my starting weight)

Waist (inches): 30-31

Butt: 40-41 (same)

Hips: 40-41 (trending downward)

Find out how the other ladies are doing with their weight loss efforts and other goals by clicking on the image below.

What do you think causes weight gain: excess fat, excess carbs, or just too much food in general?

Sharing at Homestead Barn Hop, Better Mom Monday, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tiny Tip Tuesday, Titus 2sday, Traditional Tuesday, Teach Me Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Women Living Well Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, The Mommy Club, Delicious Dishes, Keep it Real Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Homemaking LinkUP, Life in Bloom, Thought-Provoking Thursday, Fight Back Friday, Simply Natural Saturday

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8 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Health, Knowledge, On My Mind Tagged With: get healthy get fit

Why We Get Fat {Get Healthy & Fit, Week 3}

September 23, 2012 By Anne Simpson

Welcome back to the Get Healthy & Fit series here at Authentic Simplicity! Joining me are 18 other bloggers, all desirous of improving their health and raising their level of fitness. We each have a different goal in mind and a different plan to reach that goal; and you can follow each blogger’s progress here. Follow along on Twitter and Pinterest as well!

I discussed my personal goals at length the first week, but to sum up, this is what I’m hoping to do in the course of these 12 weeks:

Kick my sugar habit

Lose approximately 10 lbs. and a few inches

Fit in my clothes

Develop sustainable habits like eating more proteins and fewer carbs

Why I’m Reducing Carbs

My decision to cut back on carbs as a permanent lifestyle change was made in large part as a result of reading “Why We Get Fat & What To Do About It” by Gary Taubes. I checked it out of the library this summer, and while I already knew much of the information contained therein, it was presented in such a way that my mind was kind of blown. Taubes put all the different puzzle pieces of my knowledge about nutrition and dieting into a complete picture that was, for me, paradigm shifting.

For example, I already knew that:

Fat is good. So is protein.
Fat does not make you fat.
Sugar is bad. Very bad.

What I did not know (or had never considered) was that:

Eating too much does not make you fat.
Eating too much of the wrong thing makes you fat.
Eating too much sugar (even simple carbohydrates) makes you fat.
Too much sugar leads to all the diseases we associate with obesity (heart disease, diabetes, etc.)
The “calories in-calories out” dieting equation does. not. work.

While reading the book, I found myself saying, “Yeah, yeah, I knew that already… but I had never thought of it in quite that way before!”

Scale-A-Week: 21 February 2010

And the Paradigm Shifts

How does the average person try to lose weight? By cutting calories, right? Or by exercising to compensate for excess calories.

Taubes says that is complete and total bunk. OK, those are my words, but that’s basically what he is saying in the book. Here’s the thing: the more you exercise, the more you want to eat. And the less you eat (in an attempt to reduce calories and lose weight), the less energy you have to expend in exercising. See the problem? The one cancels out the other. You cannot function properly while simultaneously attempting to reduce the calories you consume while increasing the calories you expend. It’s like a see-saw - the one goes up while the other goes down and vice versa. The two cannot work independently. If you expend more energy, you need to take in more energy.

Taubes spends a great deal of time explaining this concept and proving its veracity from all different angles: sociological, physiological, historical, biological, and scientific. He analyzes all the data available on weight-loss studies and finds that over and over and over again, they repeat the same message: the amount of food eaten is not the issue; it’s the type of food eaten.

He builds a very strong case that carbohydrates - especially simple carbohydrates like refined sugars and flours - are entirely responsible for excess weight gain in any person. In the words of an expert he quotes: “Carbohydrates drive insulin which drives fat.” Carbohydrates raise insulin levels, and the insulin signals fat storage.

What Makes A Person Fat?

To sum up: Fat doesn’t make you fat. Eating too much doesn’t make you fat. Sugars (and simple carbs that turn into sugar) make you fat.

Let me repeat that again, because it’s too important to miss: Sugar makes you fat. Simple carbohydrates make you fat.

He goes a step further and sets out to prove rather convincingly that you can eat as much protein and fat as you want without consequence, as long as you limit (or potentially completely eliminate) simple carbs. He strongly advises (and I concur) that you do not want to starve yourself or go hungry in an effort to lose weight. If you’re hungry, you need to eat. But if you’re going to eat, make sure that it’s largely composed of protein and fat (and non-starchy vegetables).

Did I just feel your paradigm shift? Yeah, I know, that’s what happened to mine, too. I highly recommend you read Why We Get Fat & What to Do About It! and get the full scoop, as well as all the scientific and historical data to back up these claims. Gary Taubes also wrote Good Calories, Bad Calories, which is on my to-read list.

Note: Taubes comes very close to recommending eliminating carbs completely, including fruits and starchy vegetables. I just don’t think that’s sustainable over the long haul, so I’m choosing to limit those foods to meal times in small portions. I also believe they have nutritional value that compensates for the carbohydrates. And I am very leery of any dietary movement that focuses too closely on one aspect or another of nutrition and health (like digestion, for example). I try to keep the whole elephant in mind.

This Week’s Update

As for my progress this week… it’s not great. I had such a crazy week and while I did my best to make good choices while on the run and eating at other people’s mercy… I definitely consumed a lot more carbs and sugar than I had been recently. Consequently, the measurements didn’t budge too much. And I was too tired every night to exercise except maybe once or twice. I’m hoping to get back into my groove this week, since I should be back to a more “normal” routine (whatever that is!).

Here are my current stats that I will update every Monday:

Weight: 135.6 (UP half a pound!)

Waist (inches): 31 (same, with a little fluctuation up and down)

Butt: 40.5 (same)

Hips: 40.5 (down half an inch!)

Find out how the other ladies are doing with their weight loss efforts and other goals by clicking on the image below.

What do you think causes weight gain: excess fat, excess carbs, or just too much food in general?

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Get Healthy Get Fit - 12 Weeks to Develop Good Habits

September 9, 2012 By Anne Simpson

I’m not into dieting. At best, I think it’s pointless, and at worst, detrimental. Any pounds lost on a temporary diet change will eventually return when the regular diet returns. The evidence suggests that our bodies don’t respond well to deprivation, and that dieting sets up a harmful cycle that will do more harm than good in the end.

But I am into developing good habits: healthy habits that can be maintained over the course of the days and weeks (and special occasions) that make up our lives. I’ve allowed some very unhealthy habits to creep into my life in the past couple years, and I’m starting to see the consequences of those now-ingrained choices.

The fact of the matter is that motherhood and pregnancy changes you. Emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and yes, physically, you will never be the same person again. In my case, the sweet tooth that I succumbed to far too often during my first pregnancy has never gone away and has begun to show up on my person in the form of undesired extra deposits of fat.

Time to Kick the Sugar Habit

It’s time for me to kick the sugar habit! Pregnancy is not currently an excuse for me, and neither is breastfeeding, so I’ve got to reign in my sweet tooth for real. Otherwise, I will never fit quite comfortably into my pre-baby clothes (or size) again!

My growing desire to develop more discipline in this area coincided with an invitation to join 18 other bloggers in a 12-week “Get Healthy Get Fit” series. Each of us have different goals and plans for achieving these goals, but in the end, we all want to improve our health and develop some healthy habits to help us make better choices going forward.

My Get Healthy Goals

One consequence of the excess sugar I’ve consumed is weight gain that I want to stop before it gets any worse. Weight gain is like a boulder that’s rolling down a hill - it only gains speed as it goes, and I don’t want that weigh to pile on any faster! I would really like to lose the excess weight that I’ve gained since having children, about 10 pounds.

Here are my current stats that I will update every Monday:

Weight: 136.6

Waist (inches): 31

Butt: 41

Hips: 42

Honestly, I don’t really have specific numbers that I’m looking for other than an approximation of about 10 pounds weight loss; I just want to be able to fit comfortably again in my clothes. I hope I can lose 3-5 inches in the butt and hips area, but those numbers are much slower to go down than the others, at least for me!

I also want to develop good dietary and exercise habits that will help me keep those pounds off and keep me healthy as I get older. Developing good habits now will help me maintain better health as I get older, because, let’s face it - I’m not getting any younger, that’s for sure!

The Plan: The 5 Healthy Habits I Want to Develop

Reduce sugar and carbs. All the evidence points to sugar - and by extension, carbs, especially refined carbs - as the culprit in weight gain and a host of other diseases. As one expert put it: “Carbohydrates drive insulin, and insulin drives fat.”
Eat more whole grains and other healthy carbs. And I mean “whole”. I’m trying to limit my intake of flour and flour-based foods, even whole grain flours, and am focusing more on grains served in their whole form. Quinoa, brown rice, barley, and more, are all delicious served whole and make great side dishes at meal times. And when it comes to non-grain carbohydrates, like fruits and starchy vegetables (think potatoes), I’m going to stick to meal times and smaller portions of those. I don’t think it’s a good idea to eliminate these foods completely, because that is not a sustainable habit over the long run.
Increase protein consumption. I’ve already started that - check out my recent post on protein-rich snacks. Protein will increase energy and lasts longer than refined carbs.
Eat more vegetables. Vegetables provide lots of healthy vitamins and minerals and I’ve always been really bad about eating adequate amounts of them. My aim is to keep a supply of greens in my fridge at all times and have a salad once a day: That will give me a good veggie boost! Vegetables will also help keep my digestive system moving even as I reduce the amount of carb-based fiber.
Exercise regularly. I learned recently that exercise doesn’t help you lose weight. That was kind of a mental revelation, but I realized that practical experience had already taught me that. However, exercise has benefits beyond weight loss, and I think it’s a good habit to maintain. Personally, I prefer Pilates, but I’ve been hearing recently about HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) that also helps to regulate your hormones - including insulin - so I’m considering experimenting with that as well. But fast-paced exercise and I don’t get along too well so we shall see if that actually happens!

Every Monday, I’ll update you on my progress, and share with you what I’m learning along the way. I’ll also direct you to resources I find helpful as I come across them.

Feel free to join the other bloggers in the Get Healthy Get Fit Series, and check out their plans and progress, too! We certainly would love your moral support as you cheer us on. We also have a Pinterest board you can follow because we will all be posting tips and information around the internet and from our own blogs there. Be inspired to get fit yourself! You can also follow our conversation on Twitter with the hash tag #healthymomseries. See you there!

What healthy habits have you struggled to develop?

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12 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Health Tagged With: get healthy get fit

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